AeroQuest Solar Roof System

When you’re choosing solar panels to put on your roof, how do you pick the right ones? It can be tough when you have to worry about making sure that your panels won’t be too heavy for your roof to support and checking to see that you won’t get any leaks in your roof due to faulty installation. Fortunately, the solar roof system can change that and ease any solar panel worries you might have.

About the Solar Roof System

The new solar roof system from AeroQuest, a division of Gold River Productions Inc. (GRPS), is different from other photo-voltaic solar panel options. Instead of being bolted onto an existing roof, this sturdy power-generating system is the roof.It’s a prefabricated, monolithic, structurally insulated photovoltaic solar roof. What this means is that people who want to build their own houses or commercial structures can use the solar roof system as the roof on the new building. Existing structures will not be able to implement the solar roof system unless the roof is completely replaced because GRPS doesn’t offer bolt-on options. The solar roof system comes in large pieces that are about eight feet wide and can be up to 60 feet long, giving the opportunity for extensive free-span coverage. In roofing terms, this means that the roof isn’t modular – it’s made of one piece from one end to the other – and it doesn’t require support from columns or pillars unless the roof is more than 60 feet long.

Why It’s Better

The interlocking roof panels that make up this system are six inches thick. They provide two times better insulation than regular roofing options, increasing your energy savings simply by preventing energy loss. You might think that these panels would be heavy, but they only weigh about three pounds per square foot, so you don’t have to worry about insufficient support for the solar roof system. Your roof will also be stronger – when it comes to earthquakes, heavy snow, and high winds, your roof will outperform most others by refusing to collapse. You won’t need conventional roof joists and trusses to support this roof, either. Another benefit of this system is that drywall isn’t needed because both the interior and exterior sides of the roof panels are manufactured with a Class 1 fire and smoke rating. Panels are transported to the job site, assembled there, and won’t require any additional fabrication such as sealants, shingles, or barrier coats. This roof stands strong on its own and also provides you with enough energy to run your home without paying an electric bill.

The photovoltaic solar cells in the system can produce up to 13 watts of power per hour per square foot and are fully integrated into the outer skin of the roof. Because these cells are highly efficient, most structures that implement this roof system will produce more energy than they require. Excess energy can be stored for future use or sold to power companies. When running at full production, AeroQuest would be able to produce enough solar roof systems to power 7,000 homes each year.

What the Solar Roof System is Changing

This system is likely to penetrate the solar panel market to a considerable extent, and even at one half of one percent’s worth of market penetration over the course of five years, sales would generate $60 million to $120 million according to a GRPS press release. That’s $60-120 million that won’t be going toward purchasing conventional solar panels, and the system is likely to obtain more than .5% of the market within five years. Other companies will have to develop similar technology or fall by the wayside as the solar roof system addresses two important needs for successful buildings: high-functioning roofs and energy self-sufficiency.

Bio: Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education and performs research surrounding online degrees. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.